Joint for connecting sheet piling members



K. NOLTE March 29, 1932.

JOINT FOR CONNECTING SHEET FILING MEMBERS Filed July 12, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l flveni'or' MMMQ March 29, 1932. K. NOLTE JOINT FOR CONNECTING SHEET FILING MEMBERS Filed July 12, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 29, 1932 UNITED STATES KARL NOLTE, OF DORTMUNID, GERMANY JOINT "FOR CONNECTING SHEET PILING MEMBERS Application filed July 12, 1929, Serial No. 377,857, and in Germany July 13, 1928.

In order to increase the moment of resistance and facilitate the ramming of semicorrugated sheet-piling members, it is known to unite the semi-corrugated members to a complete corrugation, for example: by pressing them together at the joint. Semi-corrugated members are also known in which the union is effected by the interposition of a special bar. In such connections as consist of bulb and claw, or of bulb and inserted bar, the pressing presents difliculties in that, by reason of its smooth surface and considerable mass, the bulb can only be pressed-in b the application of reat force in order to obtain a firm union of the jointing members.

According to the present invention, the pressing together of the locking parts of such sheet-piling members is facilitated by providing the bulbs with rib-like projections, which can be pressed out of shape by slight forces, and preferably extend the full length of the bulb.

The drawings illustrate several typical embodiments of the invention. Fig. 1 shows in cross section, a sheet piling whose members are jointed and locked together by locking bars; Fig. 2 shows the joint on a larger scale; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows a method of connection similar to Fig. 1; Fig. 5 shows the joint of Fig. 4 on a larger scale; and Fig. 6 shows the form of the piling member prior to the final pass.

According to Figs. 1 and 2, each sheetpiling member a is provided at the ends with thickened bulb portions 6 having rib-like projections 0, preferabl extending the full length thereof. The bubs b are gripped by the locking bars (5 of double T or H-cross section providing double sockets. In Figs. 4; and 5, twice as many ribbed projections c are shown provided on the bulb-portions.

The sheet-piling members can be easily rolled if (as shown in Fig. 6) the ends are bent upwards, as is necessary in order to avoid undercutting, due to the ribbed shape, in rolling. The ribs or projections may, of course, be so designed that no undercutting gives rise to trouble in rolling.

It is advantageous that the joint should not be pressed all the way along, but only at intervals, after the manner represented in Fig. 3, which shows at e the recesses produced by the ram of the press. As can be gathered from Fig. 2, the bottoms f of these recesses are forced into or against the ribs 0 in frictional bind, so that an extremely secure and firm union of the jointing members is obtained, and two piling members a form a firm corrugation. The corrugations formed in this manner are then rammed. With such members, in which (as shown in the drawings) locking bars are employed for uniting semi-corrugated sheet members, it is no longer necessary that the locking bars serving to accommodate the adjacent pair of piling members should be secured by welding at their ends which are attached to the previously rammed piling member. Here also, the unilateral pressing as described above is sufficient.

The invention may be applied, with advantage, to all sheet piling members intended to be locked at the joints by pressing.

I claim l. A coifer-dam wall comprising sheet-piling sections having bulbous side margins or edge portions formed with rib-like projections extending longitudinally thereof, and connector bars formed with jaw portions, embracing said bulbous portions of adjacent sections; said jaw portions having indents at intervals therealong pressed into biting engagement with said rib-like projections of the sections and thereby binding the parts rigidly together.

2. A coder-dam wall comprising sheet-piling sections formed with bulbous side margins or edge portions having ridge-like projections extending longitudinally thereof, and bars interconnecting the sections side-toside; said bars being of a double-socket form having aw portions embracing said bulbous portions of the sections and indents at intervals therealong pressed into deforming engagement with said projections of the sections and thereby frictionally binding the parts rigidly together.

3. A coder-dam wall comprising sheet-piling sections having bulbous side margins or edge portions with rib-like projections extending longitudinally thereof, and connector bars of opposingv socket form having jaw portions embracing said bulbous portions of the sections arranged side-to-side; said jaw portions of the bars having indents therealong pressed into upsetting engagement with said rib-like projections of the sections and thereby frictionally binding the bars and sections together in rigid joint connections.

4:. A cofier-dam wall comprising sheet-"pil ing sections having bulbous side margins or edge portions formed with rib-like projections extending longitudinally thereof,- and interconnecting lock-bars of an H form in cross-section engaging the bulbous portions ofadj-acent sections arranged side-to-side; the side or jaw portions of said bars being conformed substantially to said bulbous portions ofthe sections and having indents therer along pressed into the rib-like projections on the latter with a deforming effect binding the parts rigidlytogether.

Intestimony whereof I afiix my signature.

KARL NOLTE. 

